Loompanics

Infobox_Company
company_
company_name = Loompanics Enterprises, Inc. DBA Loompanics Unlimited
industry = Publishing, Catalog book sales
company_type = Private
foundation = 1975
location = Port Townsend, Washington
products = Books
revenue =
key_people = Michael Hoy, President, Book Editor

num_employees = | net_income =
operating_income =

Loompanics Unlimited was an American book seller and publisher specializing in nonfiction on generally unconventional or controversial topics, with a philosophy arguably tending to a mixture of libertarian and left wing ideals, although Loompanics carried books expressing other political viewpoints (including far right) as well as outspokenly apolitical ones. The topics in their title list included drugs, weapons, anarchism, sex, conspiracy theory, and so on. Many of their titles describe some kind of illicit or extralegal actions, such as "Counterfeit I.D. Made Easy", while others are purely informative, like "Opium for the Masses". Loompanics was in business for nearly 30 years. The publisher and editor was Michael Hoy.

Mike Hoy started Loompanics Unlimited in East Lansing, Michigan, in 1975. [http://www.loompanics.com/Articles/FirstTime.html] [ [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/5.08/streetcred.html?pg=9 5.08: Street Cred ] ]

In January 2006, Loompanics announced that it was going out of business, and that it was selling off its inventory. In the spring of 2006, Paladin Press announced that it acquired the rights to 40 titles previously published or sold by Loompanics, including the works of Claire Wolfe, Eddie the Wire, and other popular Loompanics authors. [ [http://www.paladin-press.com/faqs Paladin Press FAQ] ]

Market position

In addition to Loompanics' massive annual catalog of its entire stock, Loompanics regularly mailed its customers a thinner quarterly supplement featuring a selection of books interspersed with articles about government propaganda and conspiracies, and/or underground resistance. The addressing side of the cover included an American World War II graphic of an eagle carrying a stack of volumes and the slogan, "Our men want books!"

Loompanics did not fall into the categories of mainstream liberal, conservative, or libertarian politics. While Hoy expresses a favor for free markets, he also criticizes libertarians for championing multinational corporations, which he describes in a 2005 article as being entirely different entities from individuals. Hoy characterizes them as governmental entities, since their limited liability is the result of government fiat, rather than contractual dealings among individuals. Thus, in some ways, Hoy argues, corporations have more rights than individuals. [ [http://www.loompanics.com/Articles/whycorporations.html "Why Corporations Are Not People, And The Unsavory Consequences of Pretending That They Are, A Challenge to 'Libertarians'" by Mike Hoy] , 2005 Spring Supplement] He also criticized libertarians for brainwashing themselves, stating:Hoy's articles, which systemically lambast the policies of all major political groups, have earned him the wrath of organizations across the political spectrum.

Loompanics' FAQ stated that the company's name is a play on words inspired by Hoy's fondness for National Lampoon.

Alleged censorship

According to Gia Cosindas, Amazon.com, Ebay, and Google have refused to allow Loompanics to advertise on their sites, since some of the books' content violates their editorial guidelines. Specifically, Google wrote, "At this time, Google policy does not permit the advertisement of websites that contain 'the promotion of violence [and] drugs or drug paraphernalia.'" [ [http://www.giacosindas.com/ giacosindas.com ] ] [ [http://www.loompanics.com/Articles/CovertCensorship.html "Covert Censorship on the Web" by Gia Cosindas] , 2005 Spring Supplement]

Legacy and aftermath

On May 8, 2006, Loompanics stopped accepting retail orders. Their website now encourages potential customers to contact other publishers, who have had several Loompanics titles transferred to them, or will be the new publishers of established Loompanics authors. [http://loompanics.com/34.html]

References

External links

* [http://www.authorviews.com/authors/04bf_hoy.php AuthorViews video interview with founder Michael Hoy]